I don't see why that matters. Stop nitpicking so much. It doesn't matter if he says "we" and it doesn't matter that he's apparently from Macedonia. Where do you draw the line that you can't support a team any more? Is there a certain distance you're not allowed to be away from the city? It's all arbitrary garbage. Let him get his fake sense of glory if he wants it. It's what most people follow sports for anyways. A fake sense of accomplishment.

not sure what the hell del bosque is doing, but non of xavi, iniesta or any good spaniard on the barca team can play without messi... they are lost in the universe.. absolutely horrific ..

The entire system is set up so as to maximize Messi statistically...that means he completely dominates the play in the final third throughout the season. He's progressively played closer and closer to goal - and it's reached almost to the point where every play needs to run through him or to be run for him if it's going to end up in the back of the net.

They can play without him - they have proven that - forwards like Tello and Pedro simply need to not conceptualize themselves as auxillary to Messi. Which is difficult when the only reason they're in the team consistently - and Villa isn't - is because they're willing to be that.

The entire system is set up so as to maximize Messi statistically...that means he completely dominates the play in the final third throughout the season. He's progressively played closer and closer to goal - and it's reached almost to the point where every play needs to run through him or to be run for him if it's going to end up in the back of the net.

They can play without him - they have proven that - forwards like Tello and Pedro simply need to not conceptualize themselves as auxillary to Messi. Which is difficult when the only reason they're in the team consistently - and Villa isn't - is because they're willing to be that.

playing through messi in the final third is a winning formula and has proven to be effective at the highest levels of the game, so why stray from it?

yes, they can win without him but no one fills that center forward role in barca's style better than messi.

The entire system is set up so as to maximize Messi statistically...that means he completely dominates the play in the final third throughout the season. He's progressively played closer and closer to goal - and it's reached almost to the point where every play needs to run through him or to be run for him if it's going to end up in the back of the net.

They can play without him - they have proven that - forwards like Tello and Pedro simply need to not conceptualize themselves as auxillary to Messi. Which is difficult when the only reason they're in the team consistently - and Villa isn't - is because they're willing to be that.

They havent on this Barca team... not since 2006 when they won the 1/4, 1/2 and final without messi.. but they had ronnie back then

playing through messi in the final third is a winning formula and has proven to be effective at the highest levels of the game, so why stray from it?

lmao

Where did I say they should? I simply explained why they seem hapless without him.

Football is a flow sport - Barca is a rhythm team - to develop consistent output from the attacking players you need to give them the ball consistently. Messi is the only Barca player who gets that.

Xavi and Iniesta will do what they do - with Messi - without Messi - they will dominate possession and put the opposition under pressure....Iniesta will even work his way into dangerous positions and create the space for others, but it still hinges on what forwards can do.

They won a world cup and a pair of Euros without Messi - Del Bosque doesn't have no Magic formula - Spain has a much better defense than Barca - but fundamentally they do the same things. The forwards are also more comfortable in their roles.